updated 10:14 p.m. ET July 5, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Andy Sonnanstine pitched seven strong innings, Ben Zobrist homered again and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 3-0 Saturday night for their sixth straight win.

Zobrist homered for the third game in a row as the Rays increased their AL East lead to a season-high four games over second-place Boston. Tampa Bay has won 10 of 11.

Sonnanstine (10-3) won his fourth consecutive decision. He allowed five hits, walked one and struck out two.

J.P Howell pitched the eighth inning and Grant Balfour worked the ninth for his third save.

Akinori Iwamura put the Rays ahead 2-0 with a two-out, two-run double in the second off Zack Greinke (7-5). Royals center fielder Joey Gathright made a dive and just missed catching the ball.

Zobrist homered in the seventh.

Royals right fielder Jose Guillen, involved in a heated exchange with Kansas City pitching coach Bob McClure in the clubhouse before the game, went 0-for-4 and struck out twice.

Guillen and McClure argued face-to-face, but no punches were thrown before players and coaches separated them. Guillen, who unleashed a profanity-filled tirade against his teammates in May, declined to comment on the incident.

Guillen knocked over chairs during the confrontation. Tempers flared after Guillen made a comment about coaches — he then told McClure he wasn’t talking specifically about him.

Kansas City’s David DeJesus went 0-for-4, which stopped his career-high hitting streak at 16 games.

Notes: Rays manager Joe Maddon thinks his team will have just one or two players named to the AL All-Star squad. “If you take a team to the All-Star game, you’d take us,” Maddon said. “But you take individuals. That’s the way this thing works. I’m not going to cry about it, and I hope nobody else does. It’s just the way it is.”.... Royals RHP Leo Nunez is scheduled to start a minor league rehab assignment Monday with Triple-A Omaha. Kansas City LHP John Bale (shoulder-hand) is throwing off a bullpen mound. ... Tampa Bay RHP Al Reyes (right shoulder) threw a 28-pitch simulated game. He could be cleared to start pitching in minor league games this weekend.

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